The 'khuang' is a traditional drum of which state?

Explanation

The khuang is the traditional drum of the Mizo people of Mizoram. It is the most important musical instrument in Mizo culture and is played at festivals, dances, community gatherings and religious services.

The khuang is a large, cylindrical drum. Its body is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk or wood, and both ends are covered with animal skin, usually the hide of a cow or buffalo, which is tied tightly with strips of leather or cane. It is played with the hands or with a stick and produces a deep, booming sound. Drums of different sizes are used, and the big drum is sometimes hung from a frame. In earlier times, the khuang was used to call people together and to announce important events in the village. Today, it is used widely in churches, where it accompanies the singing of hymns, because most Mizos follow Christianity, and it is an essential part of Mizo cultural performances.

Mizoram's famous festivals are linked with the farming cycle of jhum (shifting) cultivation. They include the Chapchar Kut, celebrated in spring after the clearing of the forest for jhum, the Mim Kut, celebrated after the maize harvest, and the Pawl Kut, a harvest festival. The most famous Mizo dance is the Cheraw, or bamboo dance, in which dancers step in and out between pairs of bamboo poles that are clapped together by people sitting on the ground. Other Mizo dances include the Khuallam, the Chheih Lam and the Sarlamkai, and the khuang provides the rhythm for many of them.

Other traditional instruments of the north-east include the pena of Manipur, the gogona and the pepa of Assam, and the yoksi of Arunachal Pradesh.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Manipur is known for the pena and the pung drum.
• ✗Tripura is known for the Hojagiri dance of the Reang community.
• ✗Sikkim is known for its Buddhist monastery music and masked dances.